


countdown

by sweetsindle



Series: Scenes from Hell and Heaven [6]
Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Cute Ending, Dadthello, Fireworks, Fluff and Humor, For grellspears, Friendship, Gen, Gift Fic, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ILYSM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, It's the annual New Year's party at headquarters!!!!!!, Louis - mentioned, Multi, New Year's Eve, New Years, Office Party, Stacie - mentioned, shenanigans ensue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 08:21:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28560492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetsindle/pseuds/sweetsindle
Summary: ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ʏᴇᴀʀ, ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ'ꜱ ᴀɴ ᴀɴɴᴜᴀʟ ɴᴇᴡ ʏᴇᴀʀ'ꜱ ᴏꜰꜰɪᴄᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ ᴀᴛ ʜᴇᴀᴅQᴜᴀʀᴛᴇʀꜱ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ʏᴇᴀʀ, ɢʀᴇʟʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇʀ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴇɴᴅ ᴜᴘ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀᴍᴇ ɢʀᴏᴜᴘ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ, ᴏɴᴇ ᴡᴀʏ ᴏʀ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ.
Relationships: Ciel Phantomhive/OC, Grelle & and her friends, William T. Spears/Grell Sutcliff
Series: Scenes from Hell and Heaven [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1748728
Kudos: 6





	countdown

**Author's Note:**

  * For [grellspears](https://archiveofourown.org/users/grellspears/gifts).



> For one of my good friends, Rey!!!!!!!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ILYSM I HOPE YOU HAVE AN ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🥺🥺🥺🥺💗❤❤💓💝💝💖💖💖💕💓❤❤💗💗💞❣💘💘💘❣❣💞💗💓💝💖💖💕💕💕💕

_"Huang!_ What the hell do you think you're WEARING?!"

"Heyyyyyyyy, why are ya always hating~?"

Grelle Spears took a deep breath, telling herself over and over again, trying her best not to roll her eyes. She clenched her fists for a moment before shaking her head and pointing a perfect, sparkly-red oval nail at her best friend. "We talked about this, Othello! What about everything I picked out for you three weeks ago when I sent you a bunch of options over Twitter?!"

"Oh, those things? I'm wearing it!" The fluffy, green-haired man grinned, pointing to the forest green turtleneck and the shiny black dress shoes he had on - the only parts of the outfit he had actually bought out of everything his friend had sent him. He wore a blue denim jacket with matching jeans, colorful, striped socks, and a diamond-studded Balensicaga watch over the sweater. "Isn't it great? Personally, I think everything came together perfectly!"

"And personally, I think you need Aster to check on you before you walk outside your door," Grelle groaned as she motioned him to follow her. "Why am I not surprised?"

Othello smiled and shrugged before trailing after her, walking right into this year's New Year's celebration, hosted by the London Branch Headquarters. Every single year, without fail, the party was always the same. 

The same, boring party games, the same grocery store biscuit, cheese, fruit platters, the same gossip, and the same drama. Part of Grelle always wondered why she ever bothered even to go, and why she and everyone else didn't just...do something actually fun, and involved 100 percent less irritating higher-ups and bitchy receptionists named Stacie? 

She and her best friend walked into the main office area, every area surrounding the edge with cubicles, desk chairs, and the like, which were usually spread out, now all squeezed together, so close that they were practically packed ON TOP of each other. 

Covered in shiny, silvery, white, yellow, and blue decorations, the room's center stood a few tables from the breakroom, which was very clearly the snack table, while the remaining were all for sitting.

She groaned, realizing that Will wasn't even THERE YET! Where on earth was he? His schedule was cleared almost six hours prior! "Hey, Alan! Where's Will, darling?" The red-haired reaper asked, a sigh escaping her lips as she set a hand on her hips, watching her friend set a plate of his usual berry platter on the snack table. 

"In his office," Alan replied, just as Eric, walking over from where he had been talking to a few other reapers, before popping a strawberry into his mouth. "He said he'd been out in a moment-"

"Yeah, but does anyone actually believe that?" Eric asked with a slight grin after swallowing before waving half-hazardly at the two. "Hey, you two! How's everything been?"

Letting a 'tch' escape her lips, Grelle crossed her arms, throwing a glance at the nearby clock, which currently displayed a hopeless **'8:33'** before looking back to the two men before her. "It would have been better if Will agreed to skip this lame party like I suggested! We could have done something actually exciting this year-"

"Heyyyyyy, what are you talking about, Red? This is one of the best parties of the year!" Othello chirped excitedly, grabbing a nearby paper plate and loading it with all his favorite foods. 

"Oh please," Grelle said, waving over Ronald, who had just walked through the door, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he looked around, before letting out a yawn. "You're just saying that because you like competing with Ronnie for those stupid prizes - I mean, SERIOUSLY! - a year's worth of mustard and ketchup? My dear, what on EARTH are you going to DO with all of that?! I've been to your house a million times! You already have a mountain from all the other years, PLUS all the trips to the store!"

"Ah, c'monnnnnnn~ what WON'T I do with it? There's so many possibilities! Have you ever had ketchup with chocolate ice cream?"

Alan stared at Othello in disbelief before shaking his head, earning a grin from the forensic scientist just as Ronald greeted all the other reapers, chuckling as he noticed Grelle's expression. 

"Ready for the best party of the year?"

"I hope to GOD you're sarcastic, Knox!" 

Ronald shrugged as he took a seat at one of the nearby tables, the rest of the group soon following suit (after grabbing some food) and took their own, just as two reapers from the German branch - their good friends, Sascha and Ludger came in - Sascha almost immediately rushing over to their table and hugging everyone, Ludger following afterward, offering the table a simple 'Happy New Year' and taking a place at the table immediately afterward, as Sacha grabbed two plates and started piling on food for themselves and their partner. 

"How are you all?" Ludger asked as the group looked at the two, clearly surprised but also ecstatic that the two had come! 

"Ludger! I didn't know you were coming - I thought you and Sascha were going to partake in the festivities at your Branch!" Grelle smiled, patting the younger reaper on the shoulder, just as Sascha sat down, right next to Ludger. 

"Oh, we had to!" Sacha giggled, taking a bite of their caramel biscuit, nudging Ludger on the arm with a grin. "After Will called to invite us, we just had to come! And besides, we haven't seen you all in so long! Just texting! It's so good to see everyone in the flesh after forever!"

"Forever?" Ronald asked, raising an eyebrow after he had chewed the carrot that he had dipped in the pool of ranch that he had poured onto his plate. "It's only been like, what? Three months? 

"That's a lot, Ronnie!" Grelle said, looking up and almost jumping up as she noticed Will coming into the room, a stand of cupcakes with fluffy pastel blue and yellow frosting dotted with sugar crystals in his arms. 

The brown-haired reaper nodded - unable to wave, as his hands were full, and he made his way to the table - Eric hopping up to help, and taking the stand from William, allowing him to clear a spot for the cupcakes, to which Eric set down only a few seconds after. "Good evening, everyone - and Sascha. Ludger," Will said, offering everyone a rare smile before taking a seat next to his wife. "I hope everyone's day has been fairing them well." 

"It's been well! Thank you for inviting us - I don't know what I'd do if we were stuck back at home!" Ludger said with a slight chuckle, taking a bite of his food as Sascha nodded enthusiastically. 

"Well, we're all thrilled that you could join us."

"That's right!" Ronald nodded, sharing a broad smile with Othello, before turning to Sascha. "Sooooooooooooo~ are you joining Othello and me in the hot dog eating contest? Each year it's always a tie, but I'm determined to break it!"

"What, are you saying you're going actually to win this year?" Grelle asked, taking a sip of the coffee she had gotten from the snack table. "We all know how it is - you'll almost out-eat Othello, but then you both somehow get full at the same time, and then boom~" She did jazz hands for effect. "Tie!"

"Heyyyyyyyy, hey! This is a new year!" Othello said, popping a Cheeto into his mouth. "I'm gonna win, and I mean it! - I've been training!"

"I- training?! Why?" Grelle asked, clearly flabbergasted. "Darling, the prize is _BUTTER._ LOTS and LOTS of BUTTER. - Speaking of which, who on earth picks these prizes! I'm starting to think it's you two-" She said, pointing to Ronald and Othello, who only grinned back in reply. Turning back to Will, she gave him a suspicious look. "Darling?" 

Will shook his head and ate a handful of grapes. "Now, why would I let them pick them out? It's Louis that does it, not me - trust me, if I were the event planner, condiments and the like wouldn't be a part of the prizes."

“Oh, dear....” Grelle sighed, resting her chin in her hands. “Anyway...You know, I haven’t even actually seen the flyer for this thing yet! What are we doing?”

“Same old same old, I’m guessing,” Ronald said, raising an eyebrow at Will. “Let me guess, besides the hot dog eating contest, musical chairs, and whatnot, we’re doing bingo?”

“Charades too, I’m guessing~” Othello chimed in as Will nodded. 

“Crafts, coloring as well - a little something for everyone,” Will said as he checked his phone and texting something before putting it back in his pocket. “That was Louis - 15 minutes until the first game begins. After a few of them, we’re moving onto the hot dog eating contest, crafts, and such, and then we’ll be ending the night with bingo, with about thirty minutes to spare before the new year begins. I heard fireworks are being hosted out near the neighborhood - assuming everyone will be on board with joining. I talked to Othello earlier, and he’ll be leaving a bit sooner to collect Aster and Ella-”

“Ah, Ella,” Grelle grinned, the others chuckling. “He still has yet to ask that darling girl out, and I know he’s been meaning to for a while! I hope it’s soon - they’re simply the cutest!” 

“Aren’t they? Hehe,” Othello agreed, before taking a swig of his drink. “Yup! I’ll be headin’ out around Bingo time to get them, and then we’ll swing right back! Who wants to come with?”

“I will!” Ronald said, raising his hand, Grelle following soon after. 

“It’s the same for me!” She said, the two responses making Othello smile as he took yet another bite of his food. 

“Sounds perfect! How does leavin’ round like...I dunno, 10:50-5ish sound to you all?”

“That sounds splendid! It will give us plenty of time to set up chairs or anything that we might need before the show starts!” Grelle said, nodding in agreement, looking to her two friends. 

“Agreed!” 

* * *

“You can do it, _you can do it!”_ Eric cheered from the sidelines, pumping his arms in excitement as Sascha stuffed what felt like their millionth hotdog down (which was actually their 77th) before taking another giant gulp of water, clearly in the lead between Othello, Ronald. A few other reapers partaking in the headquarter’s 42nd annual hot dog eating contest after a rather...interesting round of charades and musical chairs - which they conveniently had...at literally EVERY event, no matter the context, or how formal...for _some reason._

How was it even started in the first place? Well, surprisingly, it was a mystery to just about literally everyone...as literally, no one knew who had started it. 

One event, it just...sort of happened, and it just kind of took off from there, the five same reapers always bravely volunteering (plus some others that either A. thought they could somehow beat any of the regulars, or B. just wanted a LOT of hot dogs) to compete. 

Part of the group that always seemed to go had always been Ronald, but recently in the past thirty or so years, Othello joined him - and thus started their quest for victory, and therefore, total domination over said contest. 

But this year....this year was _different._

YES. After 30 plus years of it usually always ending in a tie between Othello and Ronald, it _finally_ seemed like their reign was coming to an end - all thanks to one Sascha from the German Branch. 

Grelle stared in both shock and disbelief as Sascha made their way to the undeniable lead - looking like they were _ACTUALLY GOING TO BREAK OTHELLO AND RONALD’S TIE!_

She stood there, Will nearby with (albeit, a bit more calm expression, but still very much shocked either way) an almost equal expression as one of the reapers in the contest, upon looking up almost immediately left the table, one following suit, and then another...and then another….leaving Sascha, Ronald, and Othello. 

As Ronald scarfed yet another down before quickly grabbing another, Grelle leaned over, looking at her husband’s stopwatch - her eyes widening as she noticed the time left on the clock, just as one of the reapers in charge of the hot dogs set another platter in front of Othello, who had just finished yet another one. 

Whether time was going a thousand times faster or slower due to the contest, no one was quite sure - but an almost indeterminate amount later, the timer had come to a stop, SCREECHING that the contest was finally over. 

“Alright...so because...I have no clue where Louis went-” Will said, snapping himself out of his trance and hitting the button that made the timer in his hand stop beeping. “I’ll be tallying up all the hot dogs eaten and declaring the winner - Eric, would you mind getting the prize, please?”

“Sure!” He nodded, rushing to the back of the room and grabbing the basket full of an assortment of lukewarm butter. Coming back, Eric set it down next to Grelle, who was currently watching with the rest of the group as Will finished up counting the results - before calling everyone to step closer, the remaining contestants as well. 

“Now...I’ve counted everything up. Well, all I have to say is that this year is...new. In fifth place is Samuel with twenty-four, fourth is Genevieve with thirty, third is Ronald with eighty-nine, second is Othello with ninety-three, and…” He took a second to look up from clipboard, the faces of shocked reapers everywhere - Othello and Ronald ESPECIALLY. “Sascha takes first by a landslide! They’ve got a hundred and thirteen. Congratulations. Eric, their prize?” Will said, motioning to the basket. “We hope you enjoy your gift of an enormous amount of unsalted butter, provided by the higherups. And by higherups, I mean _Louis.”_ Will said, rather matter-of-factly, before promptly sitting back down. 

Eric scooped up the basket and handed it to Sascha, who tiredly grinned, shaking as they took the prize. “I’d like to thank Ronnie for challenging me! It was a lot of fun - I hope you all invite us again so I can compete against you two again!” They smiled brightly, Othello and Ronald staring at them, their jaws practically on the ground. 

“Well, that was unexpected, huh?” Grelle said, resting a hand on her hip as she checked the clock, confirming the time. 

_Only two more hours until fireworks._

* * *

“What on earth is that, Ronnie?” Grelle asked as she looked up from her craft - a plastic, glitter, paint-filled ornament that SCREAMED _‘DO NOT PUT THIS ANYWHERE, EVER.’_ She sighed, resting her cheek in the palm of her right hand as she watched him fold the construction paper that he had seemingly been folding for the past several minutes straight. 

“Huh?” Ronald asked, confused for a second, before looking up and turning to his friend. “Oh! uh….I forgot, actually...I think I’m making a snowflake?” He said, sounding almost as if he was ASKING if he was, rather than stating. 

“Yup! Personally, I think making these are a lot of fun!” Othello said, taking one last snip at his paper with the scissors Will had let him borrow. He unfolded the sheet, revealing his own, shockingly-intricated design, clearly very thoroughly thought out about. “Whaddya think?”

“Jesus…” Ronald mumbled, staring at it, before looking back at his own and grabbing a nearby pair of scissors. “How the hell did you do THAT?”

“I’ve never seen ANYONE make one of these things like that before!” Grelle remarked, clearly impressed. “That actually looks like something you’d find at one of those home stores. You know, the ones with those cute decorations that you put around your house?”

“Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, YEAH!” Ronald nodded, snapping his fingers in agreement. “I think I’ve been to one of those before - and they do! They also kinda look like those crafts that you find on Pinterest!”

“They do?” Othello asked, smiling widely as he turned it around, taking a good look at it, before nodding in satisfaction. “Thanks! I’ve been working on them a lot over the holidays and such! Recently. Me and Aster have been doin’ this kinda stuff a lot! I have to say, though, wait until you see his! They’re pretty great!” 

“Ooooh~ then if we stop by your house, you have to show us!” Grelle said with a smile, just before stretching - and then noticing that Othello’s eyes were on his watch. “Huh?”

“Oh! It’s that time!”

“It is?”

“You betcha!” Othello nodded, folding his snowflake, and shoving it into his pocket, and taking his drink, and sipping it one last time before dumping it into the nearby trashcan. “Everyone need a few minutes, or are we all good to go?” 

“Oh, thank the Lord-” Grelle said, quickly getting up and taking her craft and dropping it where Othello had his drink, Ronald following a few moments later after taking a few snips to his paper and putting it into his suitcoat. “I thought this party would never end! Musical chairs was... _something…”_

“Stacie sure got riled up, eh? Never seen her so mad!” Ronald chuckled as the three walked to the door and to the coathangers where they grabbed everything they needed and bundled up. 

“What can I say, a Panera Bread gift card was on the line-” Grelle said with a chuckle, just as the three got into her fiery red Lambo after she had turned it on. 

“And you won it! She was _FURIOUS!_ Aaaaaaaaaanyway, is everyone ready to go pick them up?” Othello said with a laugh, before strapping himself in, just as Ronald took a seat next to him, and doing the same. 

“You know it!”

“Of course, dear. Now, let’s go get them!” Grelle said with a giggle, turning on her ignition. “Did you remember to text him this time?” 

“Yeah!” Othello said with a smile, showing her his phone. “Let’s get goin’!”

* * *

“Come on, come on - Aster, Ella, dears - look up! You’re going to miss it!” Grelle said with a smile, gently nudging her nephew and his friend as the countdown to the new year started on Ronald’s phone. 

She watched as the two broke away from their Switch screens - playing Animal Crossing - one of their favorites games that they loved to play together, and trained their eyes to the sky like the rest of the reapers in the small crowd, awaiting the surely beautiful fireworks that were supposed to light it once the clock hit 12:00. 

“Oh, it’s so pretty!” Ella whispered, resting her head on Aster’s shoulder as everyone watched as a rare shooting star whizzed by, causing a chorus of ‘Oooooooooooohs’ and ‘Ahhhhhhhhhhhhs’ from the group, Aster nodding in agreement, clearly just as enthralled as the rest, holding her hand in his own. 

Othello took a deep breath as he buried his freezing hands into his coat pockets, snuggling deeper into his collar with a smile as Ronald patted him on the back, checking his phone one last time before setting it down, silently mouthing that there were only five seconds left of the year. 

Grelle smiled to herself as Will held her close, and gave her a kiss on the cheek, before meeting each other’s eyes. “Happy new year, dear.” She said quietly, booping her husband on the nose. 

_The fireworks went off before them, breathtaking colors erupting from each and every mesmerizing spark._ **_Here’s to another._ **


End file.
